[ebonho]

Originally Posted by nr07

Thanks for all of your responses. I have tried the padded shorts and the problem is as I am facing some issues with my jewels as I mentioned (doctor checked, nothing to worry), when I am not on the bike, the padding folds up in reverse and I end up walking like a duck while it irritates my jewels. So this did not work for me.


Also, I have noticed something just now, apart from the seating position in my Duke, there is another thing that is helping with my tailbone situation. Since I am seating all the way back, the tailbone is not only raised but also happens to fall in a gap when I relax and sit upright because of the modifications and the nature of the Duke seat. Do you think with a custom seat maker I can make this happen with Speed 400 if needed? Should I take the leap of faith?

These are saddles of road bikes. Which accomodate a normal adult human male backside and sit bones width.

Both my road bike and hybrid saddles are 140 mm wide at their widest point.

My KTM saddle is 285 mm, whereas my Bullet saddle is 300 mm wide at its widest point. More than twice as wide as my bike saddles.

Your diagram has two flaws. A full grown adult silverback gorilla will probably have a pelvis that wide (as your depiction of sit bones circled).

And 2, you will need to have a proper animal tail and not a vestigeal human tailbone, for it to actually touch the saddle and need a cutout when sitting ... in whatever position.

https://youtu.be/O6mBMrX4fss?si=-7VUCZ-heyU-CK1C

The pain people experience after a tailbone injury is from transmitted pressure and traction from surrounding connected tissue. Not direct contact (which would be unbearable).

That's why one of the solutions after such an injury is to sit on an inflated scooter inner tube.

Don't fool around with saddles. Find a bike whose riding position gives you least amount of discomfort.

Cheers, Doc

[nr07]

Originally Posted by ebonho

These are saddles of road bikes. Which accomodate a normal adult human male backside and sit bones width.

Hi, sorry I am not well versed in medicine and I am unsure if I am wrong with the technicalities. I have seen three orthopedics regarding this and two of them have not said anything specific but one did say there might be an anomaly.

So, according to your diagram the coccyx is way up in the air but me on a 90 degree upright sitting position, the coccyx is already slightly angled and like 1cm away from the surface on a wooden chair if I stay relaxed upright.



This is the best I could draw. If I flex upright like when you are told to go upright when posing for a photo then its slightly more raised. Now if I recline back, like that of a car seat, then the coccyx keeps going further. Now, I can sit in this position all day and put as much pressure as I want and might only feel a minor discomfort but when I am on a vehicle and take a bump or a pothole while in relaxed upright or especially a reclined position, the area swells for like 4-6days. This has been the case since my Meghalaya trip last November. Before that I have done many trips in cars and motorcycles and never faced any discomfort in that region. So, if I never had to use motorcycles or cars, I would never be complaining about this!

Here's a recent x-ray:



Recent USG:


Here's an x-ray from 2 years back when I did not have this problem.



Don't want to pressure you into medical advise but I would be glad to hear about the type of doctor who deals with this. Or should I just accept it as fate?


EDIT: I understand I had taken some liberties with my first markings, however, just sat on the bike again up straight and tried to draw a sketch again. Apart from being bad with medical stuff I am also a terrible artist as you can tell. However, I think it paints the picture well. The area of the tailbone because of the nature of the seat ends up resting near the hole and doesn't have pressure on it as a result. This is similar to how Coccyx pillow with holes cut out also work. I hope you are getting my point. Would like to thank you again for your time helping with this.

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by nr07

Do think about modding the seat like I mentioned earlier. It might help you. (If you do, be prepared to buy OEM seat if things go wrong). Basically, there needs to be a hole where your tailbone rests.

I do not like modding seats because it's hard to find someone competent enough to do it and still retain the stock OE quality and fitment. And I'm getting better everyday but at a really slow pace. Last year, I couldn't ride a motorcycle for more than 15-20kms or even sleep on my back for more than 15 minutes. But, after a year, there is major improvement in the quality of my life. I'm happy that I can even ride a bike At some point in 2022, I was almost sure that I wouldn't be able to ride a motorcycle in my life.

The tailbone doesn't touch argument is simply not true. If you have an injury or inflammation, the whole area will have swelling and pain. I had related nerve issues as well. Seat doesn't have to directly touch the coccyx, just need to put pressure on the area to be in pain. For almost a year or so, it felt like I was sitting on a golf ball, due to the swelling. It took forever for the swelling to go away. Coccyx cushion was the only relief. I couldn't even sneeze without being in pain. It's a very misunderstood health condition and only someone who has gone through the pain and discomfort will understand how terrible it is.

As you can see clearly in these photos, if you are an average sized human, the seating posture on scooters directly put a lot of pressure on your tailbone area. Similar to cruisers. You sit very knees up. So the riding posture of your motorcycle is a major factor

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by nr07

Hi, sorry I am not well versed in medicine and I am unsure if I am wrong with the technicalities. I have seen three orthopedics regarding this and two of them have not said anything specific but one did say there might be an anomaly.

When you slouch, your pelvis tilts back, and tip of tailbone comes closer to what you are sitting on. Ditto on cruisers like Harleys where your legs are extended forwards. The same thing happens (tip of tailbone contact irritation) on a soft seat that you sink into.

I hope you understand now why I was suggesting a sports bike first off.

Cheers, Doc

[nr07]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Attachment 2630761

When you slouch, your pelvis tilts back, and tip of tailbone comes closer to what you are sitting on. Ditto on cruisers like Harleys where your legs are extended forwards. The same thing happens (tip of tailbone contact irritation) on a soft seat that you sink into.

I hope you understand now why I was suggesting a sports bike first off.

Cheers, Doc

Got you. I have a gen 2 Duke and it works for me. Do you think a Speed 400 will work for me? Please also consider the fact that it has a soft seat which sinks in. So at some point the sit bones would compress the sides and the middle part would be raised and more in contact with problematic area. Since I do not have problems while sitting and things only go wrong when I hit jerks, breakers, etc when in the wrong position and get inflammation 24 hours later, it is a bit difficult for me to test things out with a test ride (which I will get to gain as much idea as possible.)

EDIT: Also, does the slight difference in foot peg position (Duke vs Speed 400, for example) affect the tailbone position provided everything else is same?

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by nr07

Got you. I have a gen 2 Duke and it works for me. Do you think a Speed 400 will work for me? Please also consider the fact that it has a soft seat which sinks in. So at some point the sit bones would compress the sides and the middle part would be raised and more in contact with problematic area. Since I do not have problems while sitting and things only go wrong when I hit jerks, breakers, etc when in the wrong position and get inflammation 24 hours later, it is a bit difficult for me to test things out with a test ride (which I will get to gain as much idea as possible.)

EDIT: Also, does the slight difference in foot peg position (Duke vs Speed 400, for example) affect the tailbone position provided everything else is same?

The Duke the knees are more bent and so the pegs higher and more rearwards I feel. This 100% has a link to the tilt of the pelvis. As they are all joined, and not independent parts. I also felt the Speed handlebar to be slightly wider and more upright. I cannot recall the saddle but my impression is that it was softer than a Duke. Or maybe that was the plusher suspension. I dont know much about a Gen 2 Duke, but a Gen 1 Duke has a pretty firm seat. I love it.

For jerks and bumps and potholes you should make it second nature to load your upper legs, hips, lower back and abdominals, to act like a giant coiled spring, so that all the shock does not go through your spine. At least tense these involuntarily if not raise yourself up a bit off the saddle. Build your quads. They are huge muscles for motorcycling.

[nr07]

Originally Posted by ebonho

The Duke the knees are more bent and so the pegs higher and more rearwards I feel. This 100% has a link to the tilt of the pelvis. As they are all joined, and not independent parts. I also felt the Speed handlebar to be slightly wider and more upright. I cannot recall the saddle but my impression is that it was softer than a Duke. Or maybe that was the plusher suspension. I dont know much about a Gen 2 Duke, but a Gen 1 Duke has a pretty firm seat. I love it.

For jerks and bumps and potholes you should make it second nature to load your upper legs, hips, lower back and abdominals, to act like a giant coiled spring, so that all the shock does not go through your spine. At least tense these involuntarily if not raise yourself up a bit off the saddle. Build your quads. They are huge muscles for motorcycling.

Do you think the Triumph will be a no go then? My current setup with the Duke, because my testicle are tender after I hurt it, sends jolts through it when I go through a bad patch plus the suspension is hard. I was feeling that I need something more plush. Plus, I have a bad wrist because of an earlier break and I stand up during bumps and bad patches so a too forward leaning bike may or may not work. I know we are talking through too many restrictions here.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by nr07

Do you think the Triumph will be a no go then?

Frankly I don't know, and no one can definitively answer this question online for you. Maybe if you borrow or rent a Speed 400 for a proper ride, you should get your answer. Either way I do not think the two bikes are so radically different as to warrant a change of one bike for the other. Which is quite a drastic step. First thing you should do is get rid of all your experimental seats and buy a new stock one. Second, give your body the time it needs to heal. Don't ride if you cannot. Third, build your strength and musculature in the intervening time. Rehabilitate actively. Not just invest time and expect that your body will do the rest. If all else fails and you really must ride, you can try strapping an inflated scooter inner tube to your saddle securely (a harness or straps that go across under the seat, and hold it in place) temporarily and see if that is manageable and can alleviate some of your pain.

Cheers, Doc

[Karthik1100]

I see so many tourers modify their seats with Gel seats, Memory foam, extra cushion, Rao seats. Please don't modify, these seat makers are no expert than a vehicle manufacturers, Vehicle manufacturers always provide maximum comfort within the budget. They might compromise on quality by using cheap quality plastic inside, cheap PU Leather, cheap foam, but they don't compromise on sitting position and foam compression. For better comfort and tail bone safety, use cycling shorts. With it's gel pads, one can ride atleast another 300km more and also with the gap in between, your tail bone won't get hurt. I have covered 1600kms continuously on my Dominar 400. With the stock seat, I can ride only 700kms a day.

[Karthik1100]

Originally Posted by ebonho

I'm a cyclist and a biker. Cycling shorts to my mind would be really uncomfortable to wear all day under riding pants. I can actually feel myself cooking down there.

Cheers, Doc

I have experienced this. You should not buy too tight shorts. Buy always one size bigger for motorcycling purpose. There are breathable shorts available. Also during lunch break or dinner break, go to restroom and remove it for sometime. This practice is better than any seat modification.

[sdubey23]

I'd like to first appreciate the OP for going out of his way and enduring all the pain to pursue his passion for riding

Sharing my 2 cents from raising the seat height on my Himalayan 411 as I am 6+ ft in height and frequently experienced pain in my knees and hips on long rides.

I visited Rao seats in Bangalore for the job. However, instead of handing over the seat and collecting it later, I spent a good 5-6 hours at Rao's to get it right.

I began by adding maximum foam and then systematically cut the foam down in an iterative fashion to get it right, simultaneously making changes to the seat shape, width, etc based on my observations. I took a 20-30 minute test ride with every iteration. And it took about 4-5 such iterations to get it right. Needless to say, the folks at Rao understood my passion for riding and were accomodative of my request. I also didn't bargain or low-ball them on the price.

I suggest you take the time to do the same. And insist on doing long test rides before finalizing and stitching the cover. The effort and time spent is worth it.

Sharing some pics:





Others have suggested cycling shorts, motorcycling shorts, etc. But, these have limitations. So, in additon to the seat mod you can try modifying a regular pair of denims or abrasive resistant pants or even your riding gear by using "butt gel pads/ inserts".
The inserts will raise the buttocks and push your sensitive tail bone area away from the contact area on the seat. You can try out a few iterations and ask the tailor to get creative here as well here.

Not sure if TBhp guidelines allow me to upload the reference pics for butt pads here. But, you can google the phrase and you'll get the idea!

Good luck and praying for good results at your end.

[chiefpk]

I have been in a dilemma regarding the seat of my Honda Hornet 160R. It's a bit too stiff even for shorter rides after I got it's cover replaced and the seat guy inserted a white packaging foam. I am in search of a good seat guy in Pune. Any suggestions by anyone would really help.